Mumbai Indians have signed three overseas players – Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson – as replacements for the IPL 2025 playoffs, should they qualify.
The IPL was extended until June 3 instead of May 25 after a week-long suspension due to the India-Pakistan conflict. As a result, several players opted not to return, with clashes between national duties and the tournament being a key reason. To address the situation, the IPL governing body allowed teams to sign replacements. However, players signed after the league’s suspension will be ineligible for retention next season.
Also read: Explained: The updated IPL player replacement rules ahead of resumption
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians roped in Bairstow as a replacement for his English compatriot Will Jacks, who will fly out to participate in a white-ball series against West Indies starting May 29.
Apart from Bairstow, Asalanka and Gleeson will replace Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickelton, who will leave for national duties as they have been picked up in South Africa’s World Test Championship final squad against Australia. The WTC final is set to be held from June 11 at Lord’s. However, South Africa will arrive in England as early as May 31 to play a warm-up fixture against Zimbabwe, who will stay back after their historic one-off Tests against England from May 22.
📰 𝐌𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐢 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐰, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧 💙
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 20, 2025
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Also read: Zimbabwe lose to combined county second-string XI in warm-up game for England Test
Bairstow last played for England in the 2024 T20 World Cup and has been out of favour since then. He is currently captaining Yorkshire in the 2025 County Championship. His previous IPL stints were with Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2019 and 2021 and with Punjab Kings between 2022 and 2024.
Asalanka, meanwhile, is currently the T20I and ODI captain of Sri Lanka, representing his country 134 times in international cricket. This will be his maiden IPL stint.
Gleeson is an English seamer who has played in six T20Is. He came in as an injury replacement for Devon Conway in the Chennai Super Kings’ squad in IPL 2024.
MI’s fate to reach the playoffs lies in their own hands. If they win both their remaining matches, they will be on 18 points and will not have to rely on net run rate to qualify. However, if they lose to Delhi Capitals, things will get complicated as their clash against Punjab Kings on May 26 would then become a must-win game. They would also need DC to lose against PBKS on May 24.
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